NCPR News: The 8 O'Clock Hour

The candidates in the 20th congressional district say they'll hold at least one debate this fall. But Republican Sandy Treadwell says he hopes to face Democratic congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand at least 10 times before the November election. Treadwell says a debate should be held in each of district's 10 counties, which stretch from the Hudson River valley north to the outskirts of Saranac Lake. He issued his challenge on the day Gillibrand was speaking at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Brian Mann has more.

North Country Congressman John McHugh, after two days in Iraq, says he sees "a return to normalcy" in the war-torn country. Martha Foley has more.

Iberdrola is one of the owners of the Maple Ridge wind farm on the Tug Hill Plateau. With 195 turbines spanning miles of ridgeline, it's the largest wind farm in the East. Bill Moore is an energy consultant for Iberdrola. Starting in the late 1990s, Moore was the man who went door-to-door to persuade local residents to welcome wind power. Today the project has been producing electricity for almost three years. David Sommerstein asked Bill Moore how it's been going. They talk about megawatts, bird and bat mortality, and the vicious debate over wind power in the North Country.Since their conversation, the New York Times reported that Maple Ridge has been forced to shut down sometimes because regional electric lines have been too congested to send the power downstate. Moore wouldn't talk about the article on tape. But he did confirm that Maple Ridge has had to shut down its turbines "about half a dozen times a year." Moore said that happens during the spring and fall, when electricity demand is lowest. He said as more wind farms come online in Clinton and Jefferson Counties, the problem could get worse. He agreed with the basic premise of the Times story, that wind energy is hampered by "insufficient grid capacity" to deliver electricity from where the wind blows to where the most people are.

Last night, before a crowd of more than 80,000 in Denver's Mile-High Stadium, Barack Obama accepted the nomination of the Democratic Party for President of the United States. Audio courtesy of The News Hour from PBS.

It's harvest season and artists across the region have been busy in the garden. Painting outdoors, or "plein air", is a time-honored tradition, particularly by artists who want to convey a sense of immediacy. They'll find a spot among flowers or along a stream, prop up an easel and paint just as they see it. Most works are competed within hours on the spot. Spontaneity is key. Bugs, rain and fleeting sunlight are challenges. Todd Moe visits a group of artists near Malone celebrating another season of creating art outdoors.